Articles made from cotton fabric and other natural material fabrics (such as linen, wool, etc.) are generally absorbent, and may feel comfortable under conditions of very light perspiration. However, under conditions of heavier perspiration, these fabrics feel wet, heavy and clingy, restricting movement and becoming uncomfortable to wear.
Wicking technology for apparel has been developed to address this problem. Generally, wicking aims to pull moisture away from the skin of the wearer and make the wearer more comfortable while being active. In the early to mid-nineties, patent applications were filed for moisture-managing clothing, where a fabric would pull moisture away from the skin via a dual-layered fabric, where the layer closest to the skin would be hydrophobic, and the outer layer would be hydrophilic. In some cases, these two components were woven into the same layer of clothing, in order to make the material thinner. The hydrophobic layer would wick moisture, so as to pull it away from the wearer, then force the moisture into contact with the hydrophilic layer, which would then absorb the moisture and spread it out along the surface of an article of clothing. The thinning of the moisture would allow evaporation from the clothing at a quicker rate than normal fabric. The hydrophobic layer would typically consist of a polyester or cotton fiber, whereas the hydrophilic layer would typically consist of a nylon or polypropylene fiber. One main issue with this is that the wicking and evaporating of the moisture is not noticeable to the wearer.
Accordingly, there is a need for better wicking and overall moisture control in clothing articles.